Abstract

Extracted from text ... mnassa vol 64 nos 5 & 6
90
Observations of the Geminids in 2004
Tim Cooper
Director, ASSA Comet & Meteor Section
PO Box 14740, Bredell, 1623, South Africa
tpcoope@mweb.co.za
Introduction
Despite the fact that the Geminids are
classified as a northern shower, they
provide a reliable display of meteors
from southern Africa, with hourly rates
exceeding the ? Aquarids, which is the
most southerly major annual shower.
The maximum normally falls on about
December 13/14, with rates dropping
quickly thereafter. The meteor stream is
known to be mass-sorted, with brighter
meteors occurring later in the activity
profile. Lunar conditions especially favoured
observing in 2004, and several
ASSA members contributed observations
which enabled us to assess the performance
of this shower as ..